FUT Minna: University students protest student death, burn buildings

Students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, are protesting the death of a student of the school.

Our sources on campus say the student, Emmanuel Olalekan, was denied treatment simply because he didn’t have a student ID on him. He is believed to have died as a result of them neglecting him for up to 30 minutes.

Angry students began protesting his death at their Bosso Campus, damaging school libraries, lecture theatres, a hostel and a microfinance bank on the school premises.

Emmanuel Olalekan was a 300-level Education student, who was on the school’s football pitch preparing for a match. This is where he slumped and was rushed to the school clinic.

A student, Abdur-Rahman, spoke to The Punch about the incident:

“A coach was addressing him and other students preparatory to a friendly match when he slumped. On arrival at the clinic, doctors who were supposed to attend to him were not on the ground for more than 30 minutes, and no ambulance was provided to take him to another hospital.

He eventually died in the clinic. It was a lecturer who took his corpse to a general hospital morgue.”

In response to this, the Management of the University announced a 2-week mid-semester break to begin with immediate effect.

In a statement issued by the Acting Academic Secretary, Dr Shakirudeen Yusuf, the management:

“The management of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, has approved a two-week mid-semester break for all students of the institution with immediate effect.

“Consequently, all students are to vacate the two campuses latest by 4pm, Thursday, February 16, 2017. Academic activities (will) resume on Thursday, March 2, 2017."

The school also acknowledged the death of Emmanuel, saying on their website, that they are indeed pained by his loss and promised to investigate the cause of death.

"With deep felt sympathy and sorrow, the management of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, announces the death of Yeye Emmanuel Olalekan, a 300-level student of the Department of Chemistry Education, School of Science and Technology Education.

“Yeye slumped while playing football on Wednesday, February 15, 2017, and was rushed to the health centre, where he was certified dead. Late Yeye, aged 23, hailed from the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.”